Interlocked seam for shoe uppers



Feb. 18, 1964 LL 3,121,288

INTERLOCKED SEAM FOR SHOE UPPERS Filed June 12, 1962 'LhmMm Lvm-vl INVENTOR. Zia-d 7M United States Patent 3,121,288 INTERLGCKED SEAM FOR SHOE UPPERS Richard J. Hill, Nashua, NH, assignor to J. F. McElwain Company, Inc, Nashua, N.H., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed June 12, 1962, Ser. No. 201,976 2 Claims. (CI. 36-45) This invention comprises a new and improved interlocked seam for uniting portions of a shoe upper by a secure structure of attractive appearance.

The invention is herein shown in its application to shoes of the moccasin type wherein it is desired to provide an interlocked seam uniting the vamp and plug that will not only impart to the shoe an ornamental and characteristic appearance but will also improve its mechanical structure. For example, heretofore moccasin type shoes are often found defective in their appearance because, when the upper is subjected to the severe strain of the pulling over operation, the seam at the tip of the plug is stretched open to an extent that exposes the lacing strand, forming what is known as a grinning seam.

I have discovered that this defect may be remedied and the appearance of the shoe otherwise improved in accordance with my invention by concentrating gathered stock in the vamp or plug in an area adjacent to the forward convex portion of the seam. Thus a surplus of stock is provided that gives up to some extent during the pulling over step and so relieves the seam of the severe strain that would otherwise cause it to open up. At the same time an ornamental effect is imparted to the seam by forming it substantially as follows: the vamp is prowided with a row of holes spaced apart a uniform distance and located Within the concave edges of its opening with radial slits forming inwardly directed tongues. The plug is provided with a row of holes staggered with respect to those of the vamp and spaced apart to a greater degree, that is to say, a greater and uniform distance apart than those of the vamp, with radial slits forming outwardly directed tongues. The tongues of the vamp are then laced through the holes of the plug and the tongues of the plug through the more widely spaced holes of the plug and secured in flat condition to the inner surfaces of these parts. in this manner the desirable surplus stock is thrown into the forward end of the plug. The resulting seam is of attractive appearance as thus formed or as formed without the formation of gathered material.

These and other features orthe invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

PEG. '1 is a fragmentary view in elevation of a shoe incorporating the interlocked seam of the invention,

FIG. 2. is a diagrammatic view of the vamp and plug parts, shown in superposed relation, and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of the finished seam as seen from inside the upper.

The vamp it is shown in full lines in the left hand half of PEG. 2 and in dot and dash lines in the right hand half. The plug 11 is shown in full lines in the right hand half of P16. 2 and in dot and dash lines in the left hand half of the figure.

The plug If. is provided with a row of oval holes 13 located within a uniform distance of the outer edge of the plug and spaced uniformly apart with radial slits 14 forming outwardly directed tongues 15. The holes 13 are represented as spaced along a dotted pitch line.

The vamp ill is provided with a row of oval holes 16 arranged on a dotted pitch line that runs substantially parallel to the inner concave edge of the vamp opening with radial slits 17 forming inwardly directed tongues 3,121,288 Patented Feb. 18, 1964 18. The holes of the two rows are disposed in staggered relation, that is to say, the holes 13 of the plug are located half way between the holes 16 of the vamp and opposite the tongues 18 when the plug and vamp are superposed for the lacing operation as suggested in FIG. 2.

It will be noted that while the pitch lines of the holes 13 and 16 coincide along the sides of the plug and vamp the pitch line of the holes 16 in the vamp is drawn inwardly about the tip for a space including nine or ten holes. The radius of the pitch line is thus reduced in this section and the spacing of the holes 16 is reduced as compared with the spacing of the correspondin holes in the plug. For this reason it will be apparent that the material of the tip of the plug will be gathered when the holes 13 of the plug are drawn into a spacing corresponding to the more closely spaced holes 16 of the vamp.

This gathering efiect is geometrically suggested in the diagram of FIG. 2. The outer pitch line at the tip of the upper indicates a hypothetical location of the holes 16 of the vamp if they were to be located in accordance with the spacing of the holes 13 of the plug. However, the true location of the holes 16 of the vamp is upon the inner pitch line which is smaller in radius of curvature than the outer pitch line and upon which the holes 16 are therefore located with a lesser spacing than the holes 13 of the plug.

Having prepared the vamp and plug in the manner above explained the seam is completed by passing the tongues 15 of the plug through the holes 16 of the vamp and the tongues 18 of the vamp through the holes 13 of of the plug. When tll's has been done the seam is completed by cementing or otherwise fastening the inserted tongues in fiat condition to the inner surface of the upper. The vamp and plug are thus permanently united with the gathered material concentrated in the tip of the plug as suggested in FIG. 1 where it serves to reduce the severity of the pulling over strain as above explained.

A fragment of the finished seam as seen from inside the shoe is shown in FIG. 3 where the vamp ill is provided with tongues 1% brought up through the holes 13 of the plug, and the plug 11 is provided with staggered tongues 15 brought up through holes 11-6 of the vamp and laid fiat on the inner surface of the plug 11.

While the seam above described is particularly useful in uniting the plug and vamp it may be also employed in other parts of the upper as for example in uniting the quarters to the vamp and under such conditions the characteristic and ornamental features of the interlocked seam are realized without the gathering effect which is so useful in connection with the plug and vamp.

Instead of completing the interlocked seam by cementing the tongues as above suggested, if desired, the seam may be supplemented by lines of stitching 1% located close to and parallel with the line of the seam at the juncture of the two parts of the upper. This not only reinforces the seam but adds to the ornamental effect of the shoe.

it should be further noted that in forming the interlocked seam at the tip of the plug the outwardly directed tongues 15 of the vamp are somewhat longer than the tongues 15 in the side portions of the seam.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail an illustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a shoe upper, an interlocked seam uniting vamp and plug portions, one portion having a row of holes spaced a uniform distance apart and located within its edge with tongue-forming slits extending from the holes to the edge thereof, and the other portion having a corresponding row of holes spaced apart a greater distance than the holes of the firstmentioned portion and also having 4 tongue-forming slits, the tongues of each portion being References Cited in the file of this patent late-ed in staggered relatienthrough the holes at the other UNITED STATES PATENTS portion, thereby gathering surplus stock in a marginal I area of the ortion having the holes of the wider spacing. 116281743 May 7 1927 2. In a shoe upper, an interlocked seam uniting vamp 5 211111378 waxcflbaum 1938 and plug portions as described in claim 1, further Char- 2356319, R0851 May 21 1939 aeterized in that holes of greater spacing are formed in i n the plug and are located about the convex tip area there- FOREIGN PATENT of and thereby concentrating surplus gathered material in 1,138,973 Fran F b. 4, 1957 that part of the plug. 10 344,993 Germany Dec. 3, 1921 

1. IN A SHOE UPPER, AN INTERLOCKED SEAM UNITING VAMP AND PLUG PORTIONS, ONE PORTION HAVING A ROW OF HOLES SPACED A UNIFORM DISTANCE APART AND LOCATED WITHIN ITS EDGE WITH TONGUE-FORMING SLITS EXTENDING FROM THE HOLES TO THE EDGE THEREOF, AND THE OTHER PORTION HAVING A CORRESPONDING ROW OF HOLES SPACED APART A GREATER DISTANCE THAN THE HOLES OF THE FIRST-MENTIONED PORTION AND ALSO HAVING TONGUE-FORMING SLITS, THE TONGUES OF EACH PORTION BEING LACED IN STAGGERED RELATION THROUGH THE HOLES OF THE OTHER PORTION, THEREBY GATHERING SURPLUS STOCK IN A MARGINAL AREA OF THE PORTION HAVING THE HOLES OF THE WIDER SPACING. 